You might also consider riding every other day if wake up and feel sore. Stretching is important. I always stretch after I ride. When I started commuting to work, I could barely get off my bike after my ride. My legs were wobbly! I had a hard time walking down the stairs to shower!. And getting on the bike after two days my butt hurt sooo bad. It took about 2 weeks before I got past the worst part. It took a couple of months to start feeling good. And it took even longer before I stopped looking for excuses to drive to work :-) That was in 2009.

If you keep at it on a regular basis, you'll find yourself riding longer and feeling better after your rides. While your progress may not be as fast as Machka's, you will make progress and eventually you'll start feeling GREAT after your rides. It takes time and a commitment to ride past the initial pain.

My recommendation would be to keep doing laps, taking breaks when you need them. Increase the mileage and as you get fitter, you'll find you don't need the rests. I've been there and still do it on hills that are steeper than I can manage.